Navarre group axes Holley from incorporation effort, will need 2,500 signatures from other precincts

Navarre Area United will have to get nearly 2,500 petition signatures from a combined six precincts in the Navarre area to move forward with its incorporation effort after the precinct for unincorporated Holley was removed from the proposed incorporation boundaries. 

That's according to a vote Thursday by the Santa Rosa County Commissioners, who asked for the changes after a proposal from NAU Executive Director Jonathan Cole on July 8. 

“What we’re looking at approving today is we’re approving that we’re agreeing to the 8% (of the registered voters in each precinct) to the petition, and then, once that’s done, come back to the board, and then at that time, the board would look at approving what would actually go on the ballot,” Board Chairman Sam Parker said at the meeting.

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Cole came to the board July 8, asking commissioners to approve ballot language and a petition threshold for the incorporation effort. Cole proposed 8% of registered voters across all seven precincts — including Holley — which would have amounted to approximately 1,100 signatures. But board members said they'd like to see 8% of the registered voters in each precinct to give each area more of a fair say in the effort. 

After a Holley resident, Donna Farvell, spoke out against being included in the boundaries, Cole said at Thursday's meeting that the committee decided to drop Precinct 10 from the boundary effort.

“Ms. (Donna) Farvell’s group was putting together a very concerted effort, and I went to talk to her at her store and they were already working on a petition effort,” Cole said. “At the end of the day, it was kind of a decision for the greater good, 'cause if we’ve got to get 60% plus one, that’s not going to help.”

A resident from Navarre Beach had previously spoken out against being included in incorporation, but Parker said no one had come forward last week from the beach to say they were against the incorporation effort. 

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“We haven’t had anybody come forward this week from Navarre Beach, so I have less of a concern there,” he said. “They’re plugged in, and I think if they did (have a problem) we would probably hear a few of those folks.”

Navarre Area United is a registered political action committee led by Cole and fellow businessman Andy DeMartin that aims to get citizen approval to make Navarre its own city. The PAC so far has raised $3,000 for its effort, according to campaign finance records — $1,000 donated by Cole and $2,000 donated by DeMartin.

Cole has previously told the News Journal he's confident he'll be able to get the signatures needed to move on to the next phase of the effort, which is getting ballot language approved for a non-binding referendum he hopes to see on the August 2020 primary ballot. 

If more than 60% of voters approve the non-binding referendum, it will go to the state level with Rep. Jayer Williamson and could then come back to the voters again for a binding referendum. 

Cole told the News Journal on Wednesday that he has already gathered between 20 and 30 petition signatures since Thursday's vote, and is "enthusiastic" about the response he's received so far.

He said he is organizing a public forum within the next few weeks for people to come and ask questions, and a feasibility study is already underway. 

Annie Blanks can be reached at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.